Underrated chef looks to "Woodlands of the South" as new dining mecca

One of Houston's most underrated chefs will be bringing something new to Friendswood in 2016. Kristofer Jakob has announced that he's left his position as the executive chef at Kris Bistro in the Culinary Institute LeNotre to launch a new restaurant called Brasserie 1895.

"This has been in the works for a couple months now," Jakob tells CultureMap. "I’m turning 40 next month. I said to myself, 'I’ve got to do something on my own.'"

With that in mind, he turned to Friendswood, the city he lives in, and acquired the 80-seat former home of Justin's Seafood to bring his vision to life. Renovations are already underway, and Jakob expects to be open in March 2016.

"I think of (Friendswood) as The Woodlands of the South," Jakob says, citing the recent expansion of Baybrook Mall as a positive development in the area. "I live down here, and my wife is from here. That’s all anyone talks about is we don’t have any (good, locally-owned) restaurants."

To fill that gap, Brasserie 1895 will serve "Old World-inspired, wood-fired cuisine." Although Jakob isn't ready to start listing specific dishes that will appear on his menu, the wood-fired oven will be used in a variety of ways such as for baking bread in the morning, pizzas at lunch and roasts at dinner. After service, Jakob will braise items for the next day as the oven cools.

On the beverage side, Jakob intends to feature a 42-bottle wine list, 10 local craft beer taps and 20 bottled beers. Wines will be sorted by style rather than varietal, to help diners understand how what they're drinking will pair with the food.

If all goes according to plan, Jakob has ambitious plans for the area. He already has his eye on a neighboring space that could serve as both a cocktail bar and banquet facility. From there, he could turn to League City and Clear Lake. For now, Friendswood residents can look forward to the day when they have a legitimate alternative to Perry & Sons.